Nation’s health top priority: ED

President Mnangagwa stresses a point to Mr Jim Ross Goddard yesterday after commissioning the Hopeville Housing Scheme in Bulawayo

Tendai Mugabe in BULAWAYO
President Mnangagwa says the health and well-being of all Zimbabwean citizens remain a top priority of his administration in light of the cholera and typhoid outbreak in Harare.

He said in addition to the declaration of a state of emergency, an inter-agency committee had been set up to deal with the epidemic.

In this regard, the President challenged local authorities to ensure sanitation in their areas meets the required hygienic standards, as he commended the corporate sector for rising to the occasion.

President Mnangagwa made the remarks while addressing people at the commissioning of the Hopeville Housing Scheme and the Turn Matabeleland Green tomato processing project here yesterday.

He said so far Government had received unwavering support from both local and international partners to contain cholera and typhoid outbreak.

“Let me assure the nation that the health and well-being of every citizen throughout the country will remain a top priority under my administration,” he said.

“Before I came here this morning (yesterday) I should be able to say the response we are receiving from the private sector and international organisations is really commendable. We have received so much support in terms of materials and in terms of financial support from our people to fight cholera and typhoid epidemic in Harare. But what is most important is for the councils, the municipality to make sure that sanitation in their areas are update, water is clean. This is a responsibility which the municipality must make sure they take care of,” the President said.

“Government remains gravely concerned with the spread of water borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. A State of emergency has been declared in Harare and an inter-agency committee has been set up in response to the epidemic. I call on citizens and corporates alike to come forward and assist with resources to help arrest and contain this dire situation.”

Quoting the Bible, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was making progress despite years of economic stagnation.

He said it was now time to look forward and not in the past for progress’ sake.

“As we rebuild and develop our great nation, let us do so in love, peace, harmony and unity, reminded by the word of God in the book of Nehemiah 4 verse 6; “…so we built the wall . . . because the people had a mind to work,” he said.

“Let us therefore have a mind for hard honest work, united as one people, with one flag and one National Anthem.

“As it is said in Isaiah 43 verses 18 and 19; ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”.

He declared; “Tomorrow is surely a brighter day. With God all things are possible!”

President Mnangagwa said Government had embarked on an ambitious and yet achievable course to leapfrog economic development through a robust industrialisation and modernisation agenda targeting all sectors of the economy.

“Equally important is the need to develop vibrant agro-processing industries which up-takes our primary products,” he said.

“To date, we have received investors interested in helping us to further develop and construct more agro-based industries to process vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy products. I therefore urge all farmers throughout the country to focus on increasing productivity in every sphere of our agriculture sector. My Government will support research and development more concertedly in order to realise improved yields and better quality of our agriculture products. We have in this regard committed one percent of our GDP to support research and development across all sectors.”